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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887 edition. Excerpt: ... well begun, the most magnificent theatre, the scene most worthy of his activity. It is here that all the peoples of Europe may meet together, with room enough to move in, may commingle their efforts and their gifts, and carry out upon a scale of grandeur hitherto unknown, the life-giving principle of modern times--the principle of free association. Now, having rapidly pointed out the great leading physical causes that contribute to the formation and development of the human body and mind, as it regards nations and communities, let us look at a few of the more local and minute causes affecting the mind and its wonderful index, the face and form. In all attempts to cultivate body and mind, we should never lose sight of the indispensable and absolutely necessary elementary sustainers of healthy action in both. First, then, we mention pure air as the element of primary importance, as not a moment can pass in life in which we can dispense with this sustaining fluid. As the atmosphere is a fluid of great compressibility and expansibility, and readily combines with other gases, holding them in solution, it is most important that we should inhale the air that may be as free from deleterious matter as possible. In all liquids holding in solution impurities, those heavier than the liquid will be precipitated, while those that are lighter will either escape at the surface, or become apparent as floating impurities. As a general rule, the atmosphere becomes purer the higher we rise in it, when it is uneonfined. Poisonous gases and effluvia that are deleterious to human life have such specific gravity, that they descend and become the breath or food of plants. Those of large lung-power in health can breathe comfortably at a mean elevation of G,000...
